Kevin White, David Donnenfield, Steve Most, and Steve Davey recently spent four days scouting and filming in the Stainslaus National Forest to capture footage for their upcoming film documenting the devastation and aftermath caused by the Rim Fire. They interviewed scientists, managers, and various officials to get a picture of the effects of the Rim Fire from a variety of stakeholders’ viewpoints.

A few weeks ago we scouted the Stanislaus National Forest for a possible film on the Rim Fire. Pictured below are some shots of the devastation close to the middle fork of the Tuolumne River. This is an excellent case-study on the role of fire in ecosystems, and the challenge to manage fire in areas with large amounts of understory fuel build-up.

Filmmakers Collaborative SF is happy to announce the release of our newest documentary, Return Flight, produced and directed by Kevin White and narrated by Peter Coyote. The film chronicles the restoration of the bald eagle to the Channel Islands in the face of pervasive DDT contamination.

In the early 1960‘s, the bald eagle disappeared from the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California due to collecting, hunting, and extensive DDT contamination in the marine environment. Filmed over the span of several years, Return Flight documents how a dedicated team of biologists has been working tirelessly for decades to restore the bald eagle back to the Channel Islands, leading to some amazing results.

You can watch Return Flight’s broadcast premiere on the national PBS series Natural Heroes on KRCB channels 22 and 722 in the Bay Area, November 11th at 7:30 p.m.Check your local PBS listings for other screenings on Natural Heroes throughout the country. You can also purchase a DVD of Return Flight for individual use directly from Filmmakers Collaborative SF. The Video Project is distributing the film for the educational market.